Shikli blasts Britain over sanctions on Israeli groups

Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli sent a sharply worded letter to Britain’s foreign secretary after London decided to impose financial sanctions on seven Israeli organizations, including Arzenu and the Farm Union.

Chikli called the move unilateral and unprecedented, saying it was taken without prior coordination with the Israeli government and without giving the affected organizations a chance to respond to the allegations against them. He said the sanctions were a “serious violation of Israel’s sovereignty and an improper interference in its internal affairs through economic and political tools.”

The minister argued that the sanctions do not target only private entities, but also criticize state institutions and undermine the authority of Israel’s legal and regulatory framework. He demanded that the measures be frozen immediately, that Britain reverse course, and that it open direct dialogue with the Israeli government before taking steps with political and legal consequences.

According to Chikli, the British decision sends the wrong message and rewards political campaigns against Israeli citizens and organizations acting lawfully. He said Britain had replaced the judgment of Israel’s competent authorities with its own, amounting to interference in matters that fall exclusively under Israel’s sovereign domestic jurisdiction. The move, he added, raises serious concern about its effects on the organizations and on Israel’s legal framework.